Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori
The Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori bases itself on two main principles, that of Liberalism and that of Democracy. Liberalism -''' The theory that individual rights and liberties must not be taken away except in cases where a certain liberty infringes on the rights or liberties of another citizen. No person shall be discriminated against and all laws shall be equally applied to all members of society. 'Democracy -' The theory of a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them. History Stephenson Era: 2702-2731 ''Pre-Beginnings'' The Liberal Democratic Party (UCF/IA) was the child of political commentator Mr Jorg Stephenson. In an article for "Empire Journal", Stephenson detailed his dreams of a libertarian, capitalist society. His arguments varied, from the belief that religion had been wrongly used as a justification for the former Governments of Luthori to take away rights from its citizens to the idea that taxation was merely a government-sanctioned form of theft. The article, which was published in March of 2702, sparked signficant debate amongst the community, particularly students. In December 2704, Stephenson held a conference of likeminded political enthusiasts, where he intended on gauging the opinion of the people in regards to the idea of an organised libertarian political force. It was here that Stephenson met Mr Jerome Thomas, a successful businessman. Leaders of the internationally renouned United Conservative Front were also in attendance, offering their assistance to the project. Just two months later, in February of 2705, Stephenson's political expertise combined with the funding provided by Thomas and the UCF allowed for the creation and official registration of the Liberal Democratic Party (UCF/IA). The Party was prepared to contend its first battle at the 2706 national elections. ''Formation of a Structure'' The relative lack of public awareness of the Liberal Democratic Party (UCF/IA) by the time of the September elections resulted in a poor result, receiving 83,341 votes - not enough to gain a seat. Stephenson and Thomas decided the growing party membership required a structure to be formalised to allow for further growth. At a conference of all senior Party members in February 2708, the "Liberal Democratic Party (UCF/IA) Constitution" was formed - creating a 15-person Executive Leadership Council. As part of the Constitution's induction, Mr Jorg Stephenson was elected Chairman and Mr Jerome Thomas elected Deputy Chairman. A significant focus for the Party over the next couple of years was the promotion and advertisement of itself and its policies to the general public. This had varying success throughout the five regions of Luthori and acheived an overall result of 326,778 votes in the September 2710 election. This was significant improvement on the result four years prior, but again, it was not enough to win a seat. ''First Hints of Power'' Through continued promotion to the general public, with a specific focus on civil rights and freedoms, the Liberal Democratic Party (UCF/IA) managed to double its voter base in the early elections called just four months later, in January 2711. With 782,333 votes, the Party received its first seat in the Imperial Diet. With Chairman Stephenson controlling a seat in the Diet, the LDP (UCF/IA) now had the ability to be heard by other political parties and, more importantly, a wider audience amongst the general population. Despite having little, if any, influence on actual legislation, it was this position in the Diet that has been attributed to the LDP (UCF/IA)'s miraculous result in the January 2715 elections. With a significant voter base of 23,102,259, the LDP (UCF/IA) won 38 out of 200 seats in the Imperial Diet, giving it a significant influence over Luthori politics. Together with the Constitutionalist Imperial League and the Royal Aristocratic Party, the LDP (UCF/IA) acheived great success in bringing about libertarian and capitalist reform. This success continued from 2715 through until 2731 - during which time the number of seats dropped no lower than 28. ''The End of an Era'' The contraversial early elections called in January 2731, following the demise of the Nationalist Party of Luthori, caught the Liberal Democratic Party (UCF/IA) by surprise and as a result they won only 13 seats with 9,062,889 votes. The LDP (UCF/IA) lost much of its influence in the Imperial Diet and, as a consequence, lost its power over politics. Following the disappointing result, Chairman Jorg Stephenson chose to step aside, after 25 years in control of the Party. Following this decision, Deputy Chairman Jerome Thomas followed his leader out of the Executive Leadership Council, to make way for a fresh leadership group. On the 28th of March, following a meeting of the Executive, former Treasurer Jonathon Churchwood was annointed Chairman and Senior Executive Member Gregory McGeorge appointed Deputy Chair. Mr Churchwood responded very positively to his promotion and promised great things for the Party, both within Luthori and on the international stage. It was for this reason that the Party was officially renamed the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori, to differentiate itself from the Liberal Democratic Parties across the globe. Churchwood Era: 2731-2745 ''The New Era'' The new leadership group made themselves known to the Imperial Diet and the general public particularly fast. A significant amount of legislation was proposed to the Imperial Diet in an effort to promote their new policy platform. However, not all publicity was positive. LDP Secretary to the Imperial Diet Hamish O'Cullen made headlines for the wrong reasons when his proposals to the Diet contained text explicitly attacking a long-term ally of the Party, the Constitutionalist Imperial League. Mr O'Cullen was consequently removed from his position within the Executive Leadership Council and a replacement was immediately appointed. With the increased media attention and the popularity of new Chairman Jonathon Churchwood, the LDP of Luthori returned to its days of success, winning 39 seats from its 36,717,903 votes in the January 2735 elections. ''Continued Success'' Political commentators suggest there are various reasons for the shock landslide victory to the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori in the January 2739 elections, four years later. With a whopping 65,863,047 votes, the LDP of Luthori received a record 77 of 200 seats in the Imperial Diet. Possible reasons for this include the increasing popularity of LDP Chairman Jonathon Churchwood, the LDP of Luthori's involvement in international affairs including the Axis and United Conservative Front and the LDP of Luthori's success in bringing about improvements in civil rights in Luthori. However, a majority of the increase in seats is attributed to the poor performance of the Luthori Communist Party, which dropped from 44 to just 4 seats as a result of internal instability and turmoil. Both parties attracted the votes of progressive anti-moralists, so it was inevitable that the LDP of Luthori would gain much of the votes normally received by the Luthori Communist Party. ''Communist Collapse'' Following the collapse of the Luthori Communist Party, the Imperial Diet voted in favour of early elections. However, the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori suffered a serious defeat, dropping from 77 to 28 seats. The Party continued to celebrate, however, that communism had been officially defeated and three capitalist parties had a full hegemony over Luthori. Four years later, at the September 2744 elections, The LDP continued its poor run, winning only 35 seats, prompting an urgent caucus meeting of all senior members. 2nd Stephenson Era: 2745-2762 ''"The Future Caucus"'' As a result of the fall in votes for the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori, Chairman Churchwood arranged for the "Future Caucus", where all senior members of the Party would meet to discuss the future direction of the Party, including voting on who should be Chairman. Chairman Churchwood, himself, remained the front-runner, but received competition from then-Foreign Minister Sarah Lyndalls. A "racial slur" controversy later took her out of contention for the position and damaged the credibility of the Party as a whole. Lyndalls was removed from the Party and new competition for the Chairman position was sought - resulting in the nomination of 31 year old businessman Anthony Stephenson, son of LDP of Luthori founder Jorg Stephenson. Stephenson had a clear victory in the election, prompting Churchwood to retire completely from his position in the Executive. ''Consolidation of Power'' The first election under Stephenson (2748) was a comprehensive success, with the LDP of Luthori winning 69 of 200 seats in the Imperial Diet. As the formerly dominant Royal Aristocratic Party faded away, the LDP of Luthori went from success to success, gaining another 4 seats in 2752 and another 19 in 2756 - ending with a total of 92 of 200 seats. Stephenson's popularity multiplied during this period, particularly during his temporary four year reign as Acting-Commander of the Axis - during which time Deputy Chairman Gregory McGeorge became Acting-Chairman of the LDP of Luthori. During this period of substantial successes of the Party at elections, several legislative achievements occurred. Various economic and social de-regulation bills were proposed and successfully ratified, furthering the capitalist free-market approach that has resulted in the great economic performance of the past Century. It was during this period that relations between Emperor Jason I and the Imperial Diet hit a new low. Unilateral decisions made by the Emperor limiting the power and sovereignty of the Luthori parliament was not taken lightly by the two major political parties, who unanimously voted in favour of ammending the Union Treaty, before temporarily suspending ratification of the Treaty in its entirety. The passing of Emperor Jason I in 2758 was overshadowed by the optomism that followed the coronation of Emperor Maximilian III. McCormack Era: 2762-present ''Full Hegemony'' As the long-serving Royal Aristocratic Party and the ill-fated Bolshevik Party together suffered embarrassing defeats in the 2760 elections, both ceased to exist - thus leaving it to the Constitutionalist Imperial League and the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori to contend the 2764 and 2768 elections alone, the two coalition allies assuming a full hegemony over Luthori politics. The LDP of Luthori Executive Council decided to make use of the period of stability to make the transition from an older leadership committee to a fresher, younger lot. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Sir Harry McCormack stepped up to assume the position of Chairman of the LDP of Luthori and the Rt Hon. James Lucas became Deputy Chairman. Former LDP Secretary to the United Conservative Front, Richard Larkins, became the new Minister of Foreign Affairs and was replaced at the UCF by Daniel McMillan. The Senior Executive Members committee was also modified as it lost Sir Harry McCormack, James Lucas and the retiring Nadine Gray. The three replaced by new Minister of Foreign Affairs Richard Larkins, Luthori businessman Allan Chambers and former Chairman and now Minister of Internal Affairs Anthony Stephenson. ''Investment and Security'' The new LDP of Luthori Executive Council got to work straight away and voted uninamously in favour of two significant additions to the Party. The first being the Liberal Luthori Security Organisation (LLSO). The LLSO is to act as a para-military organisation charged with ensuring the safety of all LDP of Luthori members when representing the Party both within Luthori and abroad. The organisation is co-ordinated by SEM General Bradley Aubergyne, who has seven years of experience in the Imperial Military of Luthori and Alduria. The second addition is the business acquisition of Luthori Telecom (LTC). Formerly owned by the Chambers Family Corporation (CFC), LTC was offered to the LDP of Luthori in exchange for CFC CEO Allan Chambers being appointed the position of an SEM on the LDP Executive Council. The profits made from the LTC will be used to fund the development and expansion of the LLSO, the expansion of the LDP of Luthori Headquarters in New Salem, the advertisement of the Party throughout Luthori to try and gain votes and to fund all LDP of Luthori campaigns and activites around the nation. ''Socialist Opposition'' As the LDP of Luthori and the Constitutionalist Imperial League were beginning to get used to the idea of a full hegemony over Luthori politics, opposition arose in the form of two seperate socialist-leaning parties - the libertarian Rainbow Unicorn Party and the former-Luthori powerhouse Luthori Tory Party. The first challenge for the ruling coalition came in the form of the 2772 elections. The nation's oldest political party, the Luthori Tory Party, headed the election results with a slim margin over the LDP of Luthori. LDP ally, the CIL, had their worst result in 62 years. The capitalist coalition, however, maintained a majority in the Imperial Diet. Despite proposals from the Luthori Tory Party to form a coalition with the LDP of Luthori, the capitalist coalition stayed strong and maintained control of the Government. Party Leadership Executive Council The form of leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori is outlined in the "Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori Constitution of 2708". As per the Constitution, the LDP is led by an Executive containing 15 senior party members. Executive Positions *'''Chairman The Chairman has the final say in all major party decisions. He is responsible for setting the Party Platform, representing the party at national and international conferences and appointing the LDP candidates for cabinet positions. *'Deputy Chairman' The Deputy Chairman assumes the roles of the Chairman when the Chairman is unavailable to fulfil his commitments for whatever reason. *'Secretary to the Imperial Diet' The LDP Secretary to the Imperial Diet is responsible for the administrative side of running the party. He is also responsible for representing the LDP at press/media conferences and for proposing bills to the Imperial Diet. *'Secretary to the United Conservative Front' The Secretary to the UCF will represent the Chairman at all UCF functions and meetings. The Chairman will continue to hold the position of General of the UCF, however all messages from him will be conveyed to the UCF Governing Board by his representative, the Secretary. *'Secretary to the Axis' The Secretary to the Axis will represent the Chairman at all Axis functions and meetings. The Chairman will continue to hold the position of General of the First Brigade, however all messages from him will be conveyed to the Axis Governing Board by his representative, the Secretary. *'Senior Executive Member (SEM)' The remaining ten positions of the Executive are filled by Senior Executive Members (SEM) who are resposible for assisting the Chairman with setting the Party Platform. According to the Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori Constitution of 2708, the Chairman can only appoint SEMs to positions within the Luthori Imperial Cabinet. Members of the Executive Chairmen Deputy Chairmen Secretary to Imperial Diet Secretary to United Conservative Front Secretary to The Axis Senior Executive Member Party Organisations Liberal Luthori Security Organisation History Formed under the leadership of Sir Harry McCormack in 2762, the Liberal Luthori Security Organisation (LLSO) is charged with defending and protecting LDP of Luthori members and representatives both in Luthori and abroad. Leadership The organisation is led by the Rt Hon. General Bradley Aubergyne, who previously had seven years of experience with the military of the Holy Luthori Empire. Actions The LLSO has not yet been required to act militarily in any circumstance, but friendly co-operative missions with the Imperial League Vanguard (the para-military wing of the Constitutionalist Imperial League) are being planned. Luthori Telecom (LTC) History Under the leadership of Sir Harry McCormack, the LDP of Luthori assumed control of Luthori Telecom (LTC) in 2762. The LTC was passed over to the LDP of Luthori from the Chambers Family Corporation (CFC) in turn for CFC CEO Allan Chambers being granted a position in the LDP of Luthori Executive Council. Following the successful acquisition, the LDP of Luthori invested strongly in the company to further expand the business. Leadership The LDP of Luthori appointed Allan Chambers as CEO of it's new acquisition. Sir Harry McCormack cited Chambers extensive experience and successes at LTC and in business in general as the sole reason for his appointment. External Relationships The Imperial Family of Luthori The Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori has no formal connection to the Emperor nor any royal or noble families. However, it is in full support of the Imperial Monarchy of Luthori and is prepared to fight to protect the sanctity and sovereignty of the royal family and the Holy Luthori Empire as a whole. The relationship between the LDP of Luthori and Emperor Jason I featured various disagreements on various issues including control of the Luthori military and the Luthori membership of the Axis Alliance. Tension between the two spilled over into the Imperial Diet when the LDP of Luthori attempted to legislate against a decision, to remove Luthori from the Axis, made unilaterally by Emperor Jason I. Since the death of Emperor Jason I and the appointment of Emperor Maximilian III, relations between the LDP of Luthori and the Imperial family have returned to their normal, peaceful status. United Conservative Front (UCF) The Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori, along with conservative ally Constitutionalist Imperial League, is a founding leader of the United Conservative Front (UCF) - a party organisation aimed at spreading and defending both economic and social conservatism throughout Terra. The LDP has played a large role in the administrative side of the UCF, including the large recruitment campaign of the 2730's and the formation of the UCF Pan-Conservative Military force in 2737. Axis Agreement Organisation (AAO) The Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori has been appointed to the role of General of the First Brigade of the Axis Agreement Organization. Consequently, this has seen the LDP assume the role of General of the First Brigade of the Pan-Axis Armed Forces as well as attaining a seat on the Holy Imperial Alliance Supreme Council. Due to the temporary absense of both the Chairman and Commander of the Axis between 2747 - 2751, the LDP of Luthori assumed the position of Acting Commander for these years. During this period, the LDP of Luthori along with the Federal Republican Party of Zardugal's Acting Chairman brought about significant reform of the Axis, including the demotion of the former Commander of the Axis, formerly controlled by the Unionist Party of Alduria. Upon handing the position of Commander back to its rightful controller, the LDP of Luthori re-assumed its position as General of the First Brigade. Policy regarding Religion The Liberal Democratic Party of Luthori opposes religious interference into a nations politics and similarly opposes political interference into a religious organisation. It believes in a secular society where religious beliefs are not brought into consideration when passing policy on social or economic matters. Despite this, the LDP will forever fight to defend each citizen's rights and freedom to associate with whichever political organisation they choose, should they choose to do so. Category:Luthori Parties Category:Luthori